Minister vouches support for BT hybrid cotton

·       Association lauds effort

Minister vouches support for BT hybrid cotton

The Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has said that the two recently released biotechnology transgenic hybrid cottons had been well tested with no negative health implication on human beings, asking critics to always provide scientific evidence for any negative opinion just as the National President of Cotton Association commended the government’s effort to ensuring approval of the new varieties for commercialization to the economic use of farmers.

Dr. Onu in company of the Agric Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh at a world press conference in Abuja, said there has not been any negative report of the new releases to the effect of health hazard adding that ‘’the newly released MAHYCO C 567 BGII and MAHYCO C 571 BGII varieties of transgenic hybrid cotton are safe for the use of farmer’’ with high resistant to drought and pest disease.

The release, said the science minister, was to positively impact on the well being of farmers who are expected to enjoy the dividend of the high maturity rates in fibres and oil, high tolerance of these BT hybrid cottons to drought and pest like bollworm.

His words "We have looked at it because we must make sure that whatever we release to our farmers or the Nigerian market must be safe and we are happy that there is no scientific evidence that shows otherwise so this is essentially a win-win situation where we are going to improve on the yield by planting these two varieties. So anyone writing about it being hazardous to humans should provide scientific evidence’’

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh in his remarks said that GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) was more pounced in the media than in science said importation of what we can produce would deepen our economic challenges adding that ‘’ farmers in the country are right now making so much profit and money from agriculture that jobs are presently being provided’’.

 He added that we won’t run away from BT cotton simply because we are afraid. “I think this whole thing about GMO is more in the media than science’’

Meanwhile, the President National Cotton Association of Nigeria, Mr. Anibe Achimugu has expressed his members’ acceptability of the newly released BT hybrid varieties saying it was a welcome development to the Nigerian market as production would be boosted with increased yield and improvement in fibre quality for better textile economy.

Achimugu lauded the support of both Ministers saying the breakthrough in cotton industry would have positive impacts on other agricultural produce saying “BT cotton is a welcome development because of the intrinsic qualities, particularly we talk about the yield and quality of the fibre itself. The textile industry will also get the quality of cotton they require as their source for primary production.

“If you understand the BT technology, you will understand it is just a simple way of assisting nature and we cannot say nature doesn’t need help. Our activities as human beings sometimes stretch nature, so the knowledge God has given us is to assist nature and that is what BT is all about and especially with cotton where you don’t even have to eat it” the president said.

He debunked the public fears as regards the safety of the technology saying it is mere rumour mongering, stressed that there was no record of harmful effects of BT technology on human beings and the environment.

He cited the example of Burkina- Faso farmers, who earlier rejected the technology and are presently begging to have them back owing to better understanding of its application and economic advantages that come with it.

He said with proper enlightenment of farmers on the right application and cultivation of the improved varieties of cotton, the yearly national output of Nigerian cotton would improve, stressing that farmers still need to ensure best agronomics practices and consequently, training.